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ISAAC HULL 



American Frigate "Constitution." 

LETTER ACCOMPANYING PICTURE 



PRESENTED TO THE 



BOSTONIAN SOCIETY 

BY 

BENJAMIN F. STEVENS 
February 11, 1890. 



^* 



In Excii^ 

V/is. Hist SoOrf 



V y'-^ 



William Claken^ce Bukrage, 

Secretary. 

Dear Sir : — 

I have the honor of presentmg 
to the Bostonian Society a finely engraved portrait 
of Commodore Isaac Hull, taken by his order 
from a painting by the celebrated Gilbert Stnart in 
the year 1813, to which is attached a vignette of 
the famous battle between the American frigate 
'^ Constitution " and the EngUsh frigate " Guer- 
riere," drawn by the order of Hull himself. The 
portrait must have been an exceptionally good one 
to have warranted so fine a reproduction by the 
engraver's art. I cannot help thinking that the 
engraving is a very rare one, and well worth being 
in possession of this institution. It is one of the 
traditions of the United States navy that for gen- 
eral seamanship, and especially for skill in handling 
and managing his ship. Commodore Hull was at 
the top of his profession; and, as will be shown in 
the course of this narrative, there are grounds for 
belief that his equal has never been seen in the' 
American navy. 



Isaac Hull was born at Derby, Conn., May 9, 
1775, and entered the merchant service, in which he 
remained till 1798, at the commencement of hostil- 
ities with France, when he was commissioned a 
lieutenant in the navy. In 1800 he was first lieu- 
tenant of the " Constitution," or " Old Ironsides," 
the ship which afterward became so famous under 
his command in the war between Great Britain and 
the United States in 1812-15. In that year he cut 
out a French letter of marque from under the guns 
of a battery in the harbor of Port Platte, San 
Domingo. In one sense the active life of Isaac 
Hull is identified with the services of the most 
renowned ship of our navy. 

During the war with Tripoli, 1802 to 1805, he 
served with distinction in the several attacks on 
that power (July, August, and September, 1804), 
and subsequently co-operated with Gen. William 
Eaton, our navy agent in Tunis, in the capture of 
Derne. In 1806 he was posted as full captain. In 
1812 he was put in command of the " Constitu- 
tion ; " and in July of that year, while cruising off 
^ew York, he fell in with a British squadron, 
consisting of the " Africa," a razee of 64 guns, the 
" Shannon " and " Guerriere," frigates of 38 guns 
each, and the " Belvidere " of 36 guns, and the 
" ^olus " of 32 guns, and a brig and schooner. 
This squadron was on the lookout for Commodore 



Rogers, who had sailed from New York with a 
small squadron on the 21st of June, three days 
after the declaration of war. The " Constitution " 
obtained a position to the windward of the enemy. 
She set her light sails, and at 7,30 p.m. beat to 
quarters and cleared shij) lor action, in hopes 
of cutting off the nearest ship. At 10 the " Con- 
stitution" shortened sail and showed the private 
signal of the day; but, receiving no answer from 
the British frigate, she took in her signal lights 
and cleared to the eastward under easy sail. 
From henceforward commenced one of the most 
brilliant achievements ever recorded in the annals 
of naval history, to which I shall refer later on. 

The '' Constitution " returned to Boston after 
this wonderful escape, the details of which are so 
romantic, to be enthusiastically received by its 
citizens. Lieut. Charles Morris was always sup- 
posed to be the originator of the " kedging " by 
which the " Constitution" evaded the enemy. Upon 
arriving at the Exchange Coffee House, Capt. Hull 
indorsed the following acknowledgment upon the 
register : — 

" Capt, Hull, finding his friends in Boston are correctly 
informed of his situation when chased by the British squadron 
off New York, and that they are good enough to give him more 
credit for having escaped them than he ought to claim, takes 
this opportunity to make a transfer of a great part of their 



6 



good wishes to Lieut. Morris and the other brave officers and 
the crew under his command for their many great exertions and 
prompt attention to orders while the enemy were in chase." 

:Nearly three days and three nights this chase 
continned, when, with a hght breeze, the " Consti- 
tntion" drew away from her pursuers. Twice after- 
wards she escaped from superior British forces. 

The capture of the British frigate "Guerriere," 
one of the pursuing squadron, was effected by 
Capt. Hull on the 19th of August, 1812, after an 
encounter of about thirty minutes. In this first 
battle of the " War of 1812," as it is called by 
historians, the "Constitution" lost fourteen men 
killed and wounded, and the " Guerriere " seventy- 
nine killed and woimded. The masts of the 
" Guerriere " were shot away, and she was in such 
a sinking condition that it was found impossible to 
take her into port, and she was accordingly set on 
fire, and soon afterward blew up. This great naval 
battle did more than millions of money could have 
done to put courage into the hearts of the people; 
its value has never been over-estimated. 

After the capture of the "Guerriere," Capt. 
Hull took the nation's favorite into Boston, where 
he and his officers received a perfect ovation from 

its citizens. 

From Long "Wharf, where he landed, along 
State Street to the Exchange Coffee House, the 



crowds of citizens were immense. (In this battle 
his efficient first heutenant, Charles Morris, was 
dangerously wounded.) In the evening a brilliant 
entertainment was given in his honor at Faneuil 
Hall, where plates were laid for six hundred. The 
late Col. Henry Sargent prepared the decorations, 
and Lucius Manlius Sargent recited an original 
ode. In fine, the whole country was electrified, 
and the entire heart of the nation beat high in 
praise of Isaac Hull. 

Great Britain had for some years claimed, among 
other things, her invincibility upon the seas, and 
her right to search American merchantmen, and 
to take out any seamen who had no protection, 
claiming them as British sailors, and, in general, 
the right to annoy our commerce in every way. 
As far back as 1809 occurred the miserable epi- 
sode of the " Leopard " and " Chesapeake " (that 
most unfortunate of vessels), when Capt. Barron 
of the latter surrendered to the former after 
hardly a struggle, and having had four Americans 
taken from his deck by Capt. Humphries of the 
" Leopard." Five years later, at the close of the 
War of 1812, two of these four were returned by 
the British government on the deck of the " Ches- 
apeake," one having died, and the other being 
beyond the reach of human government, having 
been hung at Halifax on the plea that he was 



8 

an Englishman. For this sad result Capt. Barron 
was suspended for five years. Commodore Stephen 
Decatur (than whom no braver man ever lived), 
it is said, but not with certainty, charged Com- 
modore Barron with cowardice upon this occa- 
sion, which led to a duel. Barron was severely 
wounded, and Decatur was killed. One of our 
writers says : — 

" They fought at Bladensburg in Maryland, a small town, 
now almost a deserted village, named after Gov. Bladen of 
that State. The world-famous duelling ground was about a 
mile west from the village, just outside the line separating the 
District of Columbia from Maryland. 

" Civilization may complacently gaze at this far-away nook, 
and reflect that the world would have to retard, instead of 
advance, could the duel ever again revive. It was the 
mediaeval ' wages of battle ; ' it made the trick of the weapon 
the verdict of the jury ; it disguised murder under the name of 
chivalry; it was a fraud and a delusion, with human vanity 
alone making the lie real. ' Confess,' said the priest to a dying 
Neapolitan nobleman who had fought fourteen duels to prove 
that Dante was a greater poet than Ariosto, ' confess that 
Ariosto was the greater poet.' — ' Father,' answered the dying 
man, ' to tell you the truth, I have never read either Dante or 
Ariosto.' The Barron and Decatur duel grew out of a fancied 
insult, nothing more ; and it is said that when shots had been 
exchanged, and both were lying upon the ground, one dying, 
the other severely wounded, they shook hands, and then- old 
friendship brought tears into their eyes. All animosity had 
then ceased ; but the brave Decatur, whose name ranks on the 
first page of our naval history, who had won promotion before 



9 



Tripoli, and whose rise thereafter was steady and brilliant, until 
it culminated in the capture of the British frigate ' Macedonian ' 
by the American frigate ' United States,' under his command, 
tarnished his honorable life on the duelling ground at Bladens- 
burg. Barron, who survived the duel, was in England when 
the "War of 1812 broke out. On his return he applied for active 
service and a ship. His application met with resistance ; he 
was despised by his fellow-officers, and his absence from the 
country during her hour of need was severely commented upon. 
Gossip became busy, and it was reported to Barron that 
Decatur was the foremost of his persecutors. Then there 
began a long correspondence between the two. Mutual friends 
widened the breach ; and at last Barron, stung to madness at 
the imputation of cowardice everywhere thi"ust upon him, 
challenged Decatur. 

" No man of his time was more skilled in the use of a weapon 
than Decatur ; no man more of an adept in duelling. It had 
been to him a pastime from his school-days up. He unhesita- 
tingly accepted Barron's challenge, and with fastidious nicety 
prepared his worldly affairs. He wrote his will, kissed his 
sleeping wife good-by, and rode out on the raw, chilly morning 
of March 22, 1820, to seek his death at the accursed spot of 
Bladensburg. Great personages were they who stood in that 
narrow gully at the meeting. The American navy was well 
represented. Great decorum prevailed in the choice of corners 
and the measures of distance. The two principals, haughty, 
dignified, self-possessed ever, observed in silence the arrange- 
ments made for the death of one, and the question must have 
suggested itself, which? All being in readiness, the principals 
were placed back to back ; their orders were to turn at the 
word ' Present,' and not to fire before the word ' One,' nor 
after the word ' Three.' Eight paces distant from each other, 
they swung around at the word ' Present.' Each saw the face 



10 

of the other, the rising sun, and the barren landscape ; one for 
the last time, but which? 

"At the cry 'One,' each took deadly aim: to miss fire 
meant death. 

" ' Two.' Both pistols were discharged simultaneously, and 
both men fell. Both men were wounded in the hip. The ball 
which struck Decatur glanced upward, severing the blood- 
vessels in the abdomen. His time had come. 

" Both men were hustled from the field, Barron away from 
the city and chance prosecution, Decatur back to his elegant 
home. He lingered far into the night, and died in great agony. 
The affair created intense excitement all over the country. 
' A cursed shame ! ' said the few opposed to murder disguised 
under the name of the duel. ' Unfortunate in its results ! ' 
exclaimed the many advocating the code. Barron suffered from 
his wounds for many months, and finally died in 1851, having 
gained nothing in life that clung to his name with the tenacity 
of his reputation as the slayer of Decatur." 

The late Commodore Jesse D. Elliott, who was 
in command of the Charlestown IN'avy Yard when 
Capt. Dewey sawed off the head of Gen. Jackson 
from the bows of " Old Ironsides," was Barron's 
second on the occasion. 

To return to the " Constitution." Isaac Hull, a 
'New England sailor, had in thirty minutes stripped 
Great Britain of her naval prowess. This victory 
was followed up by that of the " Constitution " 
under Commodore William Bainbridge over the 
" Java^" and by the same frigate under Commodore 
Charles Stewart over the " Cyane " and " Levant." 



11 



Thus " Old Ironsides " became a household word, 
and she was known the world over as the lucky 
ship of the navy. Commodore Hull carried his 
prisoners into Boston, and for the second time was 
enthusiastically received. These two brilliant 
exploits have endeared his name to posterity, and 
he ranks in the naval history of the world, not 
only as the possessor of admirable skill as a sea- 
man, but as one of the bravest and most gallant 
officers of the War of 1812. 

After the treaty of Ghent, December 24, 1814, 
by which peace was declared (which treaty, it will 
be remembered, was signed by John Quincy 
Adams, J. A. Bayard, Henry Clay, Jonathan 
Russell, and Albert Gallatin as commissioners on 
the part of the United States), Capt. Hull with his 
fellow-officers retired to the more peaceful duties 
of shore life. 

He was for many years at the head of the navy 
board of commissioners, and in command of the 
Pacific and Mediterranean squadrons, serving his 
country with great honor and credit. He died in 
Philadelphia, February 3, 1843, universally beloved 
and esteemed for his many virtues. 

The history of the "Constitution," or "Old 
Ironsides," is so identified with the life of Commo- 
dore Hull that I hope to be pardoned for alluding 
to the exploits of this public favorite^, and perhaps 



12 

repeating much that is ah^eady known. But I 
doubt if the present generation know much more 
than tradition concerning this wonderful vessel. 
Fenimore Cooper, in his " Old Ironsides," published 
in Putnam's Magazine of 1853, and Abbott, in his 
" Blue-Jackets of 1812," have done much to keep 
alive the memory of this noble ship, for which they 
are entitled to the thanks of every American. 
With the aid of these and older publications, I 
propose to give some facts concerning the old ship, 
which may prove of general interest : — 

In the year 1794 the Congress of the United 
States ordered the building of six frigates. Three 
were sold on the stocks, and three were completed 
at a cost of about $300,000 each; viz., the "Con- 
stitution," "United States," and " Constellation." 
The first was built in Boston, the second in Phila- 
delphia, and the last-named at Baltimore, and 
upon an entirely new plan ; that is, with carronades 
on a flush spar deck and thirty long 24:-pounders 
on the main deck. The usual metal for a frigate 
was an 18-pounder. The plans for these frigates 
were made by Joshua Humphreys, a shipbuilder 
of Philadeli:)hia, who was father of one of our 
former naval constructors of great ability. The 
builder who had charge of the " Constitution " 
was Mr. George Claghorn; but the foreman, who 



13 



:jvas known to be a very efficient mechanic, was 
Mr. Edmund Hart, who, singularly enough, was 
also the father of a former naval constructor. 
The shipyard was in Ship Street, between the 
present Winnisimmet Ferry and Fish Street. Mr. 
Hart's name appears in the directory of the day 
as " shipwright," along with that of George Clag- 
horn, both having shipyards on the same street. 
The " Constitution " was two years in building, 
and, at the first and second attempts to launch 
her, stuck on the ways. The third attempt was 
successful. Her figurehead was a Hercules bear- 
ing a club, until, during the second term of Presi- 
dent Jackson, the god was taken down, and the 
hero of IS^ew Orleans put in its place. To show 
the feeling of the people in the early days of our 
republic, I insert a description of the launch of 
the " Constitution," from a journal of the day: — 

"The Constitution Launched October 21, 1797. 

" Wednesday, October 25, 1797. 

" The spring tides the latter part of last week giving the 
workmen in the naval yard an opportunity to complete the 
ways for launching the frigate ' Constitution,' Col. Claghorn, 
anxious to give as early information of the intended operation 
as possible, directed a gun to be fired at daylight on Saturday 
morning last, as a signal that at full sea he should move her 



14 



into her destined element. Before noon a verj' anxious and 
brilliant collection of citizens assembled at the spectacle ; and 
at 12.15, at the first stroke at the spur shores, she commenced 
her movement into the water with such steadiness, majesty, and 
exactness as to fill almost every breast with sensations of joy 
and delight superior by far to the mortification they had already 
experienced. Such was the obliquity of the ways, that she 
came to anchor within two hundred yards of them without the 
least strain, or meeting or causing the most trifling accident ; and 
she now rides at her moorings in the harbor, a pleasant sight to 
those who contemplate her as the germ of a naval force which, 
in no remote period of time, will protect the flag of the United 
States from the depredations of piratical marauders. 

" As soon as the enlivening burst of gratulation was heard 
from the ship, her ordnance on shore replied to the shouts and 
joined with the huzzas of the citizens on the adjacent shores, 
demonstrating the lively interest the great body of the people 
took in her safety, and evidenced the popularity of the govern- 
ment by whose direction she was built. 

"The best judges have pronounced the 'Constitution,' like 
her archetype, to be a perfect model of elegance and strength, 
and every individual employed in her construction appears 
to pride himself in having assisted at the production of this 
' chef d'osuvre of naval architecture.' 

" Col. Claghorn's skill, prudence, and intelligence have been 
freely bestowed, and the United States are under obligations 
to Gen. Jackson, Capt. Nicholson, and Major Gibbs for their 
indefatigable care and attention in the superintendency of 
the various departments necessary to her equipment. If the 
well-deserved fame of Messrs. Skillings as carvers could receive 
an addition, we should pronounce their workmanship, which 
decorates the frigate, a masterpiece of theirs. Indeed, in no 



15 

part of the work in the hull or riggiug can the strength and 
beauty be exceeded, and the eulogiums of foreign naval gentle- 
men have been warm and explicit in her favor. 

" May the ' hoary monarch ' of the element on whose bosom 
she now reclines protect her with his trident ; and whenever her 
departure into the waste of his realm may be necessary, may 
propitious breezes waft her to the haven of peace, or aid her 
to hurl the vindictive thunder of national vengeance on the 
disturbers of her country's repose, or the depredators on the 
lawful commerce of her citizens." 

Recurring to the escape of the " Constitution " 
froni the British squadron, heretofore spoken of, 
Cooper, than whom no one was more fitted to 
judge, says: — 

" The chase off New York brought the ' Constitution ' largely 
before the public mind. It is true that this exploit was not one 
of a character to excite the same feeling as a successful combat, 
but men saw that the ships and crews that could achieve such 
an escape from a British squadron must both of them have the 
right stuff for a glorious marine. It was the good fortune of 
' Old Ii'onsides ' to correct two of the illusions of that portion 
of the people which had faith in English superiority in all 
things, by first demonstrating that a Yankee man-of-war could 
get away from her enemy when there was occasion for the 
attempt, and that she could deal roughly with him when the 
motive for avoiding an action did not exist." 

Capt. Dacres indorsed the following challenge 
on the register of the merchant ship "John 
Adams," on her return from Lisbon to 'New York 



16 



(she having a British license), after the escape 
of the " Constitution " from the British fleet : — 

" Capt. Dacres, commander of Ms Britannic Majesty's 
frigate ' Guerriere ' of 44 guns, presents his compliments to 
Commodore Rogers of the United States frigate ' President,' 
and will be very happy to meet him, or any other frigate of 
equal force to the ' President,' for the purpose of having a 
social tete-a-tete.'' 

On the arrival of the " John Adams " at JS^ew 
York, Capt. Dacres's challenge was copied into 
all the newspapers of the day, and had a wide 
circulation all over the United States. It is 
related that before the war the " Guerriere " and 
" Constitution " were lying in the Delaware, and 
the two captains, Dacres and Hull, happening 
to meet at some entertainment on shore, in a 
good-natured way discussed the merits of their 
respective navies. "Well," said Hull at last, 
"you may just take good care of that ship of 
yours if ever I catch her in the ' Constitution.' " 
Capt. Dacres, who is represented as having been 
a more than ordinarily good-humored gentleman, 
offered to bet money that the too confident Hull 
would be the loser in the event. " IS^o," said 
Hull, " I '11 bet no money, but I will wager a 
hat that the ' Constitution ' will prove the. victor." 
The bet was made. After the famous fight 



17 



alluded to, the officer who was sent on board the 
frigate said, " Capt. Hull presents his compli- 
ments, sir, and wishes to know if you have 
struck your flag." 

Capt. Dacres looked significantly at the shat- 
tered masts of his ship, and responded dryly, 
" Well, I don't know. Our mizzenmast is gone, 
and our mainmast is gone; and on the whole I 
think you may say we have struck our flag." 
When Capt. Dacres went on board the " Consti- 
tution," and was shown into the cabin where 
Capt. Hull was, he unclasped his sword from 
his side and handed it silently to the victor. 
"I^o," said Capt. Hull, "I'll not take a sword 
from one who knows so well how to use it, but 
I will trouble you for that hat." It is added 
by a chronicler that a shade of perplexity passed 
over Capt. Dacres's countenance until he recol- 
lected the wager of a year or so before, and 
all was well again. 

The speed of the " Constitution," by her log- 
book of 1809, was thirteen and one-half knots, 
going free under top-gallant sails. In 1844 she 
made fourteen knots ofi" Cape Frio, Brazil, with 
the same rig, under the command of that old sea- 
dog John Percival, who, by the way, was first lieu- 
tenant under Hull in the frigate " United States " 
when the latter was in command of the Pacific 



18 

squadron in 1828. " Mad Jack," as he was called, 
was one of the best sailors our navy has produced. 
He told me that Hull knew as much more than he 
did, as Christ knew more than one of the apostles. 
This was his way of expressing himself, forcibly 
and to the point. Also he told me much about 
Commodore Hull which, I am sorry to say, I 
have forgotten; but this I do remember: When 
Commodore Hull commanded the Mediterranean 
squadron, his flagship was the " Ohio," 74 guns, and 
Capt. Percival was in command of the " Cyane." 
Orders were given to the fleet to proceed to a 
certain port. It was usual for the squadron to 
slacken sail and let the flagship go ahead; but, 
lo and behold ! when the " Ohio " and the others 
arrived at their destination, the " Cyane " was there 
at anchor. When " Mad Jack " went on board the 
" Ohio " to pay his respects to the Commodore, he 
was taken to task by Hull for "forging ahead;" 
whereupon Percival said, " Give me the ' Ohio ' 
when we go back, and you take the ' Cyane,' and 
I'll get there first." — "I have no doubt you would," 
said Hull, " for, Jack, you are the best sailor I 
ever saw." 

The following song was quite current in the 
navy, and was often sung on board the " Consti- 
tution " when she was the home of the writer for 
three years, from 1813 to 1816 : — 



19 



"CONSTITUTION" AND " GUEERIERE." 

(Action of August 19, 1812.) 

It ofttimes lias been told 

That the British seamen bold 
Could flog the tars of France so neat and handy, oh ! 

But they never found their match 

Till the Yankees did them catch. 
Oh, the Yankee boys for fighting are the dandy, oh ! 

The " Guerriere," a frigate bold. 

On the foaming ocean rolled, 
Commanded by proud Dacres, the grandee, oh ! 

With as choice a British crew 

As a rammer ever drew. 
Could flog the Frenchmen, two to one, so handy, oh ! 

When this frigate hove in view, 

Says proud Dacres to his crew, 
" Come, clear ship for action, and be handy, oh ! 

To the weather gage, boys, get her ; " 

And to make his men fight better. 
Gave them to drink gunpowder mixed with brandy, oh ! 

Then Dacres loudly cries, 

" Make this Yankee ship your prize : 
You can in thirty minutes, neat and handy, oh ! 

Twenty-five's enough, I'm sure ; 

And if you'll do it in a score, 
I'll treat you to a double share of brandy, oh ! " 

The British shot flew hot. 
Which the Yankees answered not 
Till they got within the distance they called handy, oh ! 



20 



" Now," says Hull unto his crew, 
" Boys, let's see what we can do ; 
If we take this boasting Briton, we're the dandy, oh ! " 

The first broadside we poured 

Carried her mainmast by the board, 
Which made this lofty frigate look abandoned, oh ! 

Then Dacres shook his head, 

And to his officers said, 
" Lord ! I didn't think those Yankees were so handy, oh ! " 

Our second told so well, 

That their fore and mizzen fell, 
"Which doused the royal ensign neat and handy, oh ! 

" By George ! " says he, " we're done ; " 

And they fired a lee gun, 
"While the Yankees struck up " Yankee Doodle Dandy," oh ! 

Then Dacres came on board 

To deliver up his sword, 
Though loath was he to part with it, it was so handy, oh ! 

" Oh, keep your sword," says Hull, 

' ' For it only makes you dull ; 
Cheer up and take a little drink of brandy, oh ! " 

Now fill your glasses full, 

And we'll drink to Captain Hull, 
And so merrily we'll push the brandy, oh ! 

John Bull may toast his fill. 

But let the world say what they will. 
The Yankee boys for fighting are the dandy, oh ! 

During the three years from 1843 to 1846 my 
home was m " Old Ironsides," in the com-se of 



21 



which she sailed 52,379 miles; and I cannot be 
blamed for a most affectionate regard for her, 
which, perhaps, may have led me into idolizing the 
veteran who so nobly carried her through so many 
perils. It is just the Isaac Hulls who come to the 
front when their country needs their services. 
When I went on board the " Constitution," a lad of 
eighteen, she had the same armament that she had 
when she captured the " Guerriere," " Java," 
and " Cyane " and " Levant," and they bore marks 
of conflict upon them. The binnacle in use was 
the one taken from the "Java." Also, we had on 
board the marine who, stationed in the maintop, 
shot Capt. Lambert of the " Java." When we went 
into Singapore, in 1845, with a sick-list of two 
hundred sailors, the first man to welcome us and 
offer us medical assistance was Commodore Chads 
of the British squadron then in port, who was first 
lieutenant of the " Java," and surrendered her to 
the " Constitution," and who afterward became Sir 
Henry Ducie Chads, K. C. B., and died an admiral 
of the British navy in 1868. I well remember the 
kindness of Commodore Chads, and a remark he 
made to Capt. Percival, our commander: "The 
' Constitution,' in her battle with the ' Java,' was 
manoeuvi'ed in a masterly manner, and it made me 
regret that she was not British. But," said he, " it 
was ' Greek met Greek,' for we were the same 



22 



blood, after all." I wrote this home to my friends 
March 20, 1845, and have the letter before me now. 
All these things appear to me now like a dream 
that has passed and gone, but those were pleasant 
years. We had a fine crew of four hundred sailors 
and excellent ofiicers; and although storms were 
frequent, it always cleared away. 

Let us try to keep green the memory of such 
men as Hull, Bainbridge, Decatur, Stewart, and 
their contemporaries — the men who, by their 
bravery, placed their country among the nations of 
the earth. 

Excuse me, my dear Mr. Burrage, if, like an old 
sailor, I have been tedious in my story. 

Very truly, 

Ben J. F. Stevens. 

Boston, February 11, 1890. 



